Roman (Roman, #1)

Roman by Kimber S. Dawn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★-1/2

Overall rating: 4.1



What did I think about this book? That's a really good question.

This book caught my interest from page one. Paragraph one. Word one. And it didn't turn me loose until I finished it.

It was the perfect dark and twisted read, never knowing which way Roman was going to jump at any given time. Never knowing how Heather was going to respond to those swinging mood changes, kept me on the edge of my seat.

Roman makes Satan look like a schoolyard chump. He's evil personified and he makes no excuses for it. Even warns us of this fact at the beginning of this book, and numerous times through out.

I hated loving Heather at times almost as much as I hated loving Roman. She drove me bonkers with her ever changing feelings, but I'm pretty sure that Roman was someone she hated to love almost as much as she hated herself for loving him.

This book is a total mind fuck.. and I loved it! Can't wait to read the second book in this series!

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Carnal Captive a.k.a. Carnal Days

Carnal Captive by Vonna Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was "iffy" for me.

The non-con genre is a dark favorite of mine and true to form the handlers, Damek and Reno, were pretty brutal. And it's not that, that turned me off at all, it was the dialog between them that drove me a little batty. I kept expecting them at any minute to end up in a little schoolgirl shoving match. It was penis waving at it's best. Their constant, "don't tell me what to do", and trying to one up each other got redundant. Hell, at one point I was wishing they try to beat the crap out of each other.



The story starts out extremely dark, which I really enjoyed. But even from the beginning the handlers were bickering with each other. I kept expecting our heroin to use that to her advantage in some way.

The time with the "handlers" was too long, almost 75% of the book. And all the "conditioning" and "training" they did that whole time, it started to feel like a yawn fest.

I felt for a while that I favored Damek of the 2 handlers, then I would surprise myself by favoring Reno. I really, after a while, felt they were both just trying to prove to the other, and themselves, that they were actually cut out for this business.

Shari Isle. I liked her. I liked that she refused to give up the last bit of herself, her mind. She stayed strong throughout. She did what she had to do to survive. I felt her fear when she was taken, the author described this quite well. And I always felt that giving half a chance that she would kill all of those in her path to freedom.

The time with her new master was too short in terms of the length of the book, and he was pretty wishy-washy. What the hell was he doing buying a slave when he couldn't even make up his mind about basic things like wanting her on the bed or on a chair. It just didn't feel real. Yes, I know he was trying to figure out in his head what the hell he was doing, but it came off very weak. And it was all so rushed. I didn't like the ending, the way it played out, at all.

While I enjoy a Stockholm Syndrome feel to my non-con at times... I was really glad this one didn't take that turn. It wouldn't have felt real, not with as strong as Shari was portrayed to be.

This book is dark and at times brutal, very non-con, and as mentioned, it's a favorite genre of mine. I would caution the casual reader who may not be used to dark reads to read at your own risk as it involves beatings, rape, degradation, and humiliation. If these are triggers for you, best leave this one alone.

2.5 - 3 Star read for me.

Carnal Days was originally published in Feb. of 2012 as Carnal Captive with a different cover. Vonna hopes readers won’t be confused by the changes Amazon is requiring based on recent developments in the epublishing world about what is considered acceptable. This book is still listed on Goodreads.com as Carnal Captive.

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Don't underestimate Underestimated!

Underestimated by Jettie Woodruff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book. Yes. This book.

I loved it. I hated it. Ohhhh! I loved it!

The Drew, Morgan/Riley, Dawson, Lauren, and let's not forget Derik characters were an entanglement of characters that I won't soon forget!

You've read the blurb, you've read the reviews, but until you read the book you won't get the love/hate relationship most have with the characters in this story.

The way Jettie Woodruff spins this tale making you want to hold your book close right before throwing it across the room is unique.

The book is dark and disturbing. And Drew, oh how I hated him. He was a narcissistic, sadistic bastard with no redeeming qualities who tortured Morgan(/Riley) in the worst possible ways. Dawson was a wonderful man that took care of Riley(/Morgan) to the best of his abilities, considering all she'd been through, and much of it she couldn't tell him. Confused yet?

Lauren, she was one of my favorite characters. I love how she decided that she and Riley were going to be friends, no matter what Riley thought about it. Luckily Riley was all for it. Lauren was a good, dear friend. I loved how she'd just pop in, eat Riley's leftovers, make herself at home and made it her mission to find a man for Riley.

Morgan was Drew's wife. He was mean and vicious to her. She was finally able to escape (with help) and changed her identity. She became Riley. It was as Riley that she met Dawson. I was cheering for these two for the majority of the book, even though I felt that Dawson was a little judgmental about the things that Riley wanted and needed.

Riley and Dawson settled in to a comfortable (read that not exciting and non-descript) pattern. Riley *needed* more, but Dawson kept that pretty much tamped down. She thought she was, or could be, happy with that.

Until she ran into the back of a bus and lost her memory.

In walks Drew back into her life and Riley becomes Morgan again, even though she doesn't remember *who* Morgan really is, and she has even less memory of Riley.

It was from that point until towards the end that I wanted to shake n' break my Kindle!

When her memory comes back in a rush. She is then Morgan/Riley in a love triangle with Drew & Dawson. The woman couldn't make a decision if her life depended on it. Back and forth she went between both men. She and her vagina, that she had conversations with, were always open for business when it came to these two men.

Some of my favorite things she said about her vagina:

"The sight of him sent a quivering sensation straight to my attention deficit disorder vagina."

"I closed my eyes and visualized our love making on top of the world. Of course, my vagina had to go and stick her nose in it too."

"I think maybe my vagina was on break, pissed off, or just not interest in making love..." (now there was a first cause her vagina was *always* interested in throwing out the welcome sign!)

All the back and forth, can't make a decision, sleeping with Drew, sleeping with Dawson... I think a few less of those would have been better. Again, my poor Kindle took the brunt of my frustrations as I proceeded to squeeze it so hard every time she went one way or the other, that it threatened to throw *itself* out the window!

But even with all of that, Ms. Woodruff pulled it all together into a nice neat little story. Without giving away any more than I may have already done, I didn't think I would be happy with Morgan/Riley's choice. But I found that I was. At the end I found myself satisfied.

This is a must read if you like dark non-con and it's a solid 4 star read for me. The only thing that keeps it from being a 5 star is I think it went back and forth too many times with Morgan/Riley's indecision. I am however looking forward to reading "Underestimated Too". I've already purchased the book and taken a sneak peek at the first chapter and it's already caught my attention!

**********
This past update says it all!

Past update: Review to come... but in the meantime..



I loved it but I wanted to slap the crap outta Morgan/Riley!!

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Goin' Once, Goin' Twice.... Sold!

The Auction by Claire Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Another great Claire Thompson story! Some edgy BDSM and a love story all rolled into one nice little quick read.

Carly is down on her luck and pretty desperate, so she goes to the "Auction House" for a week of hard core training to become a "professional" submissive. At the auction, she is purchased by Adam Wise for $50,000 and he will own her for 30 days.

Contracts signed, sealed, and delivered, Carly goes home with Adam.

He's intense and at times pretty reckless with Carly and her safety. But underneath it all, he feels *something*, but continuously shoves it aside. She's a "paid submissive" there for his entertainment. A sex toy. Nothing more, nothing less.

She's sensitive, and wants to please him. She also feels *something*, and doesn't want to "shove it aside", she wants to explore these feelings, but he won't allow it.

I think the story, in the beginning, the "feelings of love" moved a bit too fast, but all in all, it worked in a way that only Ms. Thompson can make it work.

There is a part where Carly is locked in a box with Glory Holes.. she has a panic attack, and myself being very claustrophobic, felt ever bit of that. The author described it so vividly. There is also breath play/water play where she is put into a water locker. *takes a deep breath* It was all very descript.

I enjoyed this story very much and wish there was a sequel to it, much like I do many of the books written by this author.

Four stars!







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Review: Tender Mercies

Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great story from Kitty Thomas, is there really much more to say about it than that?! Of course there is!

This is a story about Grace Warner, a woman that should come with a big sign that says, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it!"

She wants a 24/7 Master/slave relationship, and she is willing to give up everything to have it. And when I say "everything" I do mean *everything*! She is willing to move to a private island full of Dominant men, who live by a strict set of rules. She will become a fulltime slave to her Master. When a submissive joins a Dom on this island, she is giving up all rights of modern society to become an owned slave. Her Master can do anything he wants to her. Anything except kill her. That is the only law.

Grace meets Lucas online when she goes in search of information about this island. She talks to him via chat and webcam. He wants her to join him and be her slave. She takes a year to decide, and when Lucas has had enough of waiting he gives her one final chance to make up her mind or he's going to move on. Grace at this point is "infatuated" with Lucas and the idea of being his slave, and agrees to give up everything for this man who admits that he won't be an easy Master. Which is the understatement of the century in this story!

Grace's best friend Lainey tries every way in the world to talk Grace out of doing this. For a year, she's talked, begged, and pleaded... everything to get Grace to see that she is making a mistake. I felt for Lainey, her best friend, who had Grace's best interest at heart.

But what good would this story be if Grace didn't hop on that plane and fly off into the sunset to be with her dream Dom?

Ahh, her Dream Dom is Lucas Stone and he turns out to be so sadistic and twisted that from the moment Grace steps into his luxurious mansion, she is immediately stripped of her own humanity... and her clothing. She is kept in a dungeon cell and beaten, tormented, starved, and repeat... daily. Everything he told her and made her believe over the last year has been a lie. But she doesn't realize it until it's too late and she's give up all of her rights, all of them.

My heart just broke for Grace. Even though she did all her homework on Lucas, he wasn't what he seemed, or what the internet showed about him.

Time goes by Lucas finally tires of Grace, mainly because there is one part of her that he can't break, so he decides to sell her. And he does. Grace is bought by another Dominant on the island, Asher Collins, who recognizes that she has been severely beaten and almost completely broken. Lucas warns Grace that the Master, Asher Collins, that just bought her is more twisted and sadistic than he is, and rumor has it that he killed his last slave and the authorities just haven't been able to prove it... but everyone knows he did it. Asher Collins is the worst of the worst.

It's Grace's fate, a fate that is out of her control, she has no choice in the matter. No amount of begging or pleading will keep Lucas from selling her to an even worse Dominant.

The story ends with a big twist the just made me want to cry for Grace. It all plays out perfectly and Ms. Thomas wraps everything up nice and neat.

Be warned, the story between Grace and Lucas Stone is hard core. There were times I had to just step away and catch my breath. Lucas is a master manipulator, he was patient waiting for his prey, and he waited for a year for Grace's decision. He made all the right moves, said all the right things, to get her there without making it look like coercion in any way. But, truth be told, that's exactly what it was. The scenes and the things Lucas does to Grace to try and completely break her are descriptive and at times terrifyingly heartbreaking.

This book is dark and twisted... and it was right up my alley!

A solid 5 stars!


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Dark, Twisted, & Brutal

Forced Submission by Claire Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Warning Extremely Dark, Non-Con, Contains possible spoilers**

This was a dark read, taking a woman down a very dark path of pain, humiliation, and brainwashing and it's gut-wrenching.

Mia accepts a job with the very handsome, very rich Ellis L. Hughes and she's very excited to start her new life. She gets a new life alright, but the job is bogus, her "job" is to become the perfect submissive for a cruel and sadistic Ellis and her training starts within the hour of walking in the door to start her new job.

Ellis chose Mia out of over 20 applicants, not because she was his perfect woman, but because she had no family, no boyfriend, and no kids. No one to miss her or come looking for her. She's a little overweight, no worries, he has the perfect diet plan for that.

He takes everything away from her then does everything to break her, but there is still a resistance in her that he vows to break. And he does. It's when Ellis cuts Mia's beautiful hair off and shaves her head. The moment I knew what was coming I had to actually put the book down and walk away. The author's description of this was heartbreaking. When I came back and started reading again, I really didn't think he would do it. He seemed to waver, but then it became about power and control and he *knew* he had to go through with it. It was the obsessive need for total power and control over another living person that seems to drive Ellis, and above all the other sadistic things he did to Mia, this was the one thing that fractured her and completely broke her.

She lives a harrowing "life" as Ellis' slave. She is forced to sleep in a cage at night beside his bed, most times bound while inside the cage. She is denied food and water on a whim, and when he does give her food, it is usually only a few bites a day and only after she has pleased him. She is only fed from his hand while she kneels next to him. There is also a punishment cage in a dark closet for those times when she *doesn't* please him. There is water torture, breath play, anal, and any sadistic "toy" you can think of on a regular, if not daily basis, including stocks that she is locked into for hours at a time.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It's dark, twisted, and brutal. But I will say that there are some pretty good twists that will make you want to keep turning the pages faster and faster in a race to the finish. I read this book in one day, just couldn't put it down.

Claire Thompson is quickly becoming my "go to author" when I need that dark, non-con read.

Solid 4 star read.


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Dark and Totally Twisted!

Obsession: Girl Abducted by Claire Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Warning Extremely Dark Non-Con**

What the hell did I just read? I loved it, I hated it, and I wanted more of it.

As of late I've been exploring more of the darker non-con books and then I happened on to this one. Yeah, I wanted dark, and I wanted non-con and I got exactly that and more. This is a very hardcore dark non-con read that starts with abduction and is non-stop torture. All very explicit and aggressive. And one of the most graphically disturbing books I've read. And the best part? It was plausible and very believable.

Mark is one twisted individual, obsessed with a BDSM porn star, Emily. He's watched her for years, has all of her movies and has stalked her enough to know her daily routines, her family, friends and where they all live, and he has a plan to finally make Emily his.

Mark kidnaps Emily and takes her home where he completely breaks her down and makes her his slave. But it's the way he does things that will totally twist you up, make you think you can't read another page but at the same time you can't look away. That is exactly what this book did to me. I could not stop reading.

This book is full of degradation, humiliation, and heavy S&M to include water sports, forniphilia, bondage, rape, branding, piercing, sodomy. All manner of whips, floggers, canes, and suspension hooks. Oh my! And let's not forget the cage in the closet.

The total mind bender in all of this is how the author actually made me feel for Mark at the end. What? Really? Not only was my mind twisted up by the end of this book, but so was my heart.

This book left me wanting more. An epilogue would have been nice. A "One Year Later" type of chapter.

Story Concept 4 Stars
Writing 5 Stars
Believability 4 Stars
Character investment 5 Stars

Average of 4 Stars for this book.


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